Japan’s chief trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, has called on the United States to promptly implement tariff reductions agreed under a recent bilateral trade agreement, including lower duties on automobiles and auto parts, the Japanese government said on Thursday.
Akazawa made the request during a 90-minute meeting in Washington on Wednesday with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. According to a government statement, Akazawa also pressed for confirmation and immediate execution of provisions related to tariffs on other Japanese imports.
The trade deal, reached last month, includes a reduction in tariffs on Japanese car imports to 15% from a combined rate of 27.5%. However, no specific timeline has been announced for the tariff cut to take effect. Duties on a range of other Japanese goods were scheduled to drop to 15% from 25% starting Thursday, the agreement states.
In a parliamentary session on Tuesday, Akazawa emphasized Japan’s position that products already subject to U.S. tariffs exceeding 15%—such as Japanese beef—should be exempt from any additional levies under the new 15% rate. Japan maintains that the two countries had reached a mutual understanding to prevent “stacking” of tariffs on the same goods.
However, the executive order issued by former President Donald Trump on July 31, which addresses tariff changes for several trading partners, explicitly mentions a “no stacking” clause for the European Union but includes no similar clarification for Japan. The absence of written assurances has fueled criticism of the trade pact within Japan’s parliament and media, with both Akazawa and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba facing scrutiny for not securing a joint statement that details the agreement’s terms.
As discrepancies remain over the interpretation and execution of the deal, Japanese officials continue to push for clarity and timely implementation to avoid further domestic backlash.
Source: Reuters